Arquivo

The twenties: Noel Rosa has a defect on the chin that he disguises with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. A student of medicine, he plays in the Tangarás Band, a regional group formed by youngsters from his district. Although he is white and middle-class, he gets on better with blacks, laborers, and harlots. He meets Ismael Silva and through him, is introduced into the world of samba where he meets bricklayer Cartola, from the Mangueira. He discovers what it is to loaf. As from a parody on the National Anthem, he composes "Com que Roupa?", his first success. At the age of 19, he sells thousands of records. He becomes the idol of radio and is acclaimed as "herald to Rio aspirations" and "the philosopher of samba". A celebrity, he turns Bohemian. One carnival, he meets a laborer, Lindaura, fifteen years old, and they start to date. Months later, he meets dancer Ceci and falls in love with her. He is divided between the two women, works too much, sleeps very little, is permanently sick with the flu, and weak. He is accused by Lindaura?s mother of being a kidnapper and seducer of minors and is obliged to marry her under threat of imprisonment. He finds he has TB. He goes to Belo Horizonte in an attempt to recover. He returns to Rio, meets up again with Ceci and leaves Lindaura. He becomes partner to Ismael and singer Chico Alves. On occasional encounters, he gets Lindaura pregnant. Ceci leaves him and Lindaura loses the baby. Noel drinks even more. The TB worsens, and he can barely move. He composes "Último Desejo", the samba he had promised to his great love, Ceci.